November 18, 2026 | Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow Performing Arts Center
Soloist – Ivan Bessonov, piano
Conductor – Philipp Selivanov
Rachmaninoff. Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra in С minor, Op. 18
Shostakovich. Funeral-Triumph Prelude in Memory of the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad, Op. 130
Myaskovsky. Lyric Concertino, Op. 32 No. 3
Shostakovich. Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra in F major, Op. 102
The NPR’s new program at the Moscow International Performing Arts Center is compiled of works by home classic composers, centered around two masterpieces in the genre of piano concerto written by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Dmitri Shostakovich. The soloist in both will be Ivan Bessonov. “A Russian wonder”, “unbelievable music talent”, “young pianist-thinker” — those and many other adjectives have been used by music critics in praising Ivan Bessonov. Denis Matsuev said about him: “Ivan is an extraordinary musician whose sound production and interpretation immediately draw attention.” Valery Gergiev is sure that Ivan “will become not only a famous and successful musician but also one of the really interesting, enticing, appealing, profound, fine pianists of his generation.”
Vladimir Spivakov noticed the pianist at the very beginning of his artistic career and led Ivan into the circle of permanent artistic partners of the NPR. Nowadays the pianist has got to his credit the “Young Musician of the Year” title at the Eurovision contest in Edinburgh, the 1st Prize at the S.V.Rachmaninoff International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors, the BraVo International Music Award in the Discovery of the Year nomination, the Victoria Russian National prize and many others. The musician has performed with the NPR in many Russian cities and abroad.
On the NPR podium on this night there will appear for the first time Philipp Selivanov who has recently become the head of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater. Similarly to Ivan Bessonov, Philipp has become the winner of the S.V. Rachmaninoff First International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors, and he is also an awardee of the I.A.Mussin International Competition for Young Conductors and the owner of the 440Hz Award.
All the works that will be performed in the concert are marked by personal and significant dedications. Sergei Rachmaninoff dedicated his glorious Second Concerto to psycho-therapist Nikolai Dahl who had helped the composer to overcome a very heavy crisis and return to his work. Dmitri Shostakovich addressed his Second Concerto to his 19-year-old son Maxim, a pupil of the Central Music School in those times, who became its first performer.
Philipp Selivanov has added two orchestral rarities to the program. They are the Lyric Concertino for flute, clarinet, horn. bassoon, harp and string orchestra — one of the three orchestral suites by Nikolai Myaskovsky dedicated to academic Boris Asafyev. The latter wrote that this music, incredibly rich in melodies, “was filled with such humanity and warmth that were extremely rare.” And at last Shostakovich’s Funeral and Triumphal Prelude in memory of the heroes of the Stalingrad Battle will be played. This piece was created to the opening of the Mamayev Kurgan Memorial in Volgograd.